She was struggling for air in her own right, and not all of it was due to exertion. She poked him in the chest and puffed, “I let you catch me.”
“Un-huh,” he chuckled. “Sure.”
Despite the fact that she had been joking, the truth of what she’d just said washed over Marie. She had let him catch her. From the moment she’d seen him in the grocery store and felt once more the powerful attraction they’d shared, she’d been caught in the current, and she hadn’t even attempted to flee. She’d just floated along with it and it had brought her here, into the arms of the only man she’d ever really cared about.
She could hardly believe how blessed she felt right in that moment.
Reece’s expression turned serious, and his gaze dipped to her mouth, but instead of leaning in for another kiss like she’d hoped he would, he let her go and stepped back. He slapped his hat against his thigh. “We should probably get going before…” He let the thought trail.
Warmth trickled through her. He was right. And she loved him all the more for it. Not many men in her life had cared for her enough to pull away and keep things slow. She nodded and tilted her head. “Thank you.”
He took another step back. “Have mercy on a guy and don’t look at him like that in the moonlight when he’s trying to do the right thing, would you?”
A bubble of laughter escaped, but she obediently tilted her head forward and looked at the sand. “How’s this?”
He chuckled. “Only a little better.”
She grinned.
“Come on. How about we catch a movie?”
She nodded. “First let me make a stop in Fisherman’s Wharf.”
He nodded. “Yeah, me too.”
As they made their way toward the restaurant, Reece slipped his fingers down her forearm and wove them between hers.
Marie sighed in contentment. She hadn’t felt this wonderful for years. She certainly hadn’t felt this much for a man, ever. She tightened her hand in his and tipped her head back. Above them the night sky looked like white glitter scattered over black velvet. Thank You, Lord. The short little prayer was thanks for so much. For the weather and the beauty. For the ability to breathe in the salty air. For the feel of still-warm sand between her toes. The feel of strong fingers cradling her own. The contentment in knowing she was loved and cared for. For the feeling that everything was going to be alright. For life, love, and happiness.
Reece released her hand as they separated in front of the bathroom doors, and Marie could have sworn she was walking on a cloud as she entered the ladies’ room. The door slipped shut on silent hinges.
She just needed to do a little freshening up. Dust the sand off her feet. Slip her shoes back on.
She smiled softly at the ethereal glow in her eyes as she met her gaze in the mirror, hardly able to believe how far she’d tumbled in such a short amount of time.
“What do you think he sees in her?”
Marie froze. The words had emerged from one of the stalls.
A second voice tittered. “Someone easy.”
A stone of dread dropped into the pit of Marie’s stomach. It was the twins; she’d recognize those sultry voices anywhere. A tremble started right under her heart.
The first one snorted. “She might be like that, but I don’t think he is, is he?”
“What man isn’t?”
“True.”
“Besides, what else would he see in her? She’s got a kid, for heaven’s sake. And it’s not like she’s super pretty, or anything.”
“I think she is. And it wasn’t like she looked all Christian in that curve hugging dress she had on. Still, I’d think a guy like Reece would want someone with a little less…history than her.”
Marie’s eyes dropped closed. If there’d been any doubt who they were talking about, it was gone now. Her fists clenched and the tremble nearly took the strength from her legs.
The second twin hummed her agreement. “Yeah. I can hardly believe it. Maybe he doesn’t know about her past?”
“Oh, he knows. He was there on Sunday when she was talking all about it. Standing out in the hallway like he didn’t want her to see him, or something. Do you think she really meant all the stuff she said on Sunday?”
“He was? I didn’t see him. I don’t know. Can someone so far gone really change?”
Marie willed away the tears and quietly worked at slipping her shoes on. She needed to get out of here before they discovered she’d been listening to them. And Reece had been there? Marie pulled in a breath. He was so thoughtful. He’d probably known his presence there would make her doubly self-conscious.
“I don’t know. But even if she has changed a little, you’d think a guy like him would want better for himself.”
“Hah. You just wish he’d pick you!”
The first voice chuckled. “You got that right. He’s so hot!”
One of them flushed, and Marie beat a hasty retreat. She nearly crashed into Reece as she rushed out the door.
“Whoa.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Everything okay?”
She forced a smile. “Yes. Fine.” If only she could tell him everything was as far from fine as could be. That their world had just come crashing down around them like she’d known it would. That he never should have asked her out, and she certainly shouldn’t have agreed. It was her fault those girls were in there questioning his morality. Her fault they thought he only wanted one thing from her when he’d been nothing but a perfect gentleman all evening. Pain so sharp it threatened to steal her breath shot through her. She spun away from him before he could glimpse the tears that suddenly blurred her vision. “Ready?” She led the way out into the dark parking lot.
Chapter 13
A wave of suspicion washed over Reece as he glanced from Marie to the women’s bathroom door and back. A frown furrowing his brow, he followed her out to the truck.
Something had definitely happened.
She was leaning against the side of the truck just in front of the passenger door, arms folded, eyes closed, and face tipped into the breeze. The wind caught her dress and swirled it around her ankles, but it was the stiffness in her jaw that set his heart to thumping in dread.
He tossed his hat onto the hood and leaned an arm on either side of her, purposely invading her space. “What happened?”
She sighed. “Reece…”
“Don’t do this, Marie.” He saw the glimmer of moisture on her lower lids.
Her fingers trembled when she laid them against his cheek. “I care about you so much. And I just…don’t want your reputation to suffer because of me.”
“It won’t.” How many times were they going to have to cover this?
“It will!” She stamped one foot and folded her arms again. “I had such a great time tonight that I almost forgot. But you are too important to me, Reece. I can’t let you do this to yourself. People are going to talk—think false things about you—if you keep seeing me.”
“Let them talk. I won’t care.”
“But I will. We really can’t see any more of each other, Reece.”
“Marie.” He sighed in exasperation. What had happened in there? Had she overheard someone talking? He studied the bright glow of the glass-and-stone building. That had to be it. “Who did you hear talking in there? The twins?”
Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.
“Marie, those two have been gossips from the time they jabbered their first syllables. No one is going to pay any attention to them, and not everyone is going to be like them. And if you think I care a bit what they think about me, you’d be so far off the mark you’d be missing the target altogether.” He cupped her shoulders and tipped his head. Her skin was chilly beneath his. He rubbed warmth into her upper arms. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
She wouldn’t look at him. “I think it would be best if we just got Alyssa and you took me home.”
Reece clenched his teeth. What he’d like to do would be to take the heads of a cert
ain couple of twins and smack them together. Instead all he said was “Sure. That’s fine.” He leaned forward and placed a quick kiss to her temple, trying not to be too disheartened when she stiffened. He forced himself to take solace in the fact that she said the reason she was doing this was because she cared so much. “Come on.” He opened her door for her.
He spent the bulk of the ride praying. For what, he didn’t quite know. He felt unsure what else he could say to make her truly understand his lack of concern for any damage to his reputation that might arise from being with her.
Alyssa was sound asleep when they arrived back at her apartment, so he carried her up for Marie, like he’d done the other day. But all too soon he was once again standing at her front door fingering his hat as she waited for him to leave. He eyed her. She was looking everywhere but directly at him.
He made a hasty decision, tipped his hat onto his head, and took two swift strides to stop directly in front of her. He slid his hands around her waist.
“Reece,” she protested, but she did look at him, and didn’t try and pull away.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to give you roses in public, and dedicate songs to you on the radio. I’m going to sneak up and hold your hand in the church foyer, and leave love notes on your car when you’re at work and the grocery store. And everyone is going to think we’re together anyhow, so you might as well not fight this. I love you, Marie. I think I have loved you since the first time you agreed to go out on a date with me. I had to move away because my heart was breaking a little more with every guy you chose who wasn’t me. But look where God brought us? He brought you to Him. And He brought me home. Let’s not throw this away.” He held his breath.
She wanted to give in. He could see it. But in the end her stubbornness won out. “I just can’t, Reece. You can’t. Please, you just need to go.”
“Okay.” He returned to the door and settled his hand on the knob. She was about to learn she wasn’t the only one who could be stubborn. “So Monday? What time do you need me to watch Alyssa?”
She blinked at his change of topic and stepped back, rubbing her bare arms. “Uh. Monday I work six to two.”
“Perfect. So can we plan on working on the cabins starting about two thirty? I’ll grab that paint you suggested for the bathrooms.”
She hesitated but finally replied, “Yes, that should be fine.”
He had a feeling the only thing that made her agree was the fact that she had no other options for Alyssa.
“Alright, see you then.” He walked away, but shutting the door with things unresolved between them was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
“Mommy!” Alyssa burst through the front doors and raced toward Marie Monday afternoon as she climbed from her car in the Serenity Shores driveway.
“Hi, baby.” Marie squatted down and stretched her arms wide. “Did you have a good day?”
Alyssa nestled herself firmly against her and wrapped her with both arms and legs. “It was long! I got to play with Tawny all day, but Mr. Reece wouldn’t let me watch any TV. I didn’t think he meant it.”
Marie bit back a smirk and glanced up to see Reece, one shoulder planted in the doorway, paint-splattered jeans and an old T-shirt doing nothing to disguise his good looks. Her heart stuttered, and she looked back at her daughter. “Well, guess what? We are staying a little longer because I’m going to be helping Mr. Reece do some decorating to the cabins.”
“Longer!” Alyssa wailed. “Does that mean no TV still?”
“I’m afraid so. Bet you wish you would have just listened the other night, huh?” She set Alyssa down on the front stoop and, when Reece winked at her and gave her a supportive nod above Alyssa’s head, did her best to ignore the flip her tummy gave.
Alyssa slunk over to Tawny, feet scuffing, and draped her arms around the dog. “I guess it’s just you and me, Tawny,” she proclaimed dramatically.
Marie spun away and pretended to be busy with her purse at the table to hide her laughter. Behind her Reece coughed, and she could tell he was fighting his humor, as well.
“Would you like anything to drink or eat before we head up to the cabins?”
Marie shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
“All right, then. Right this way, Superwoman!” Reece held one hand out toward the living room.
Alyssa sighed as though he might be ushering her to her death.
Marie hurried past him to lead the way.
Mr. Cahill was awake in his hospital bed. His eyes lit up when he saw the three of them.
“Well, hi there, stranger.” Marie walked over and tweaked his toes. “How are you feeling today?”
Even though his eyes smiled, Dave sighed. “Ready to go home.” He pointed to the ceiling.
Marie’s heart turned heavy. She pressed her lips together.
“Not today, Dad.” Reece gave the man a loving and gentle slug in one arm. “You just keep fighting, and we are all going to keep praying for healing.”
Dave turned such a look of love on Reece that Marie felt the awe of it. The older man’s hand trembled as he scrabbled it across the bed in search of Reece’s.
Reece stepped closer and took Dave’s hand firmly in his.
Finally gripping Reece’s hand, Dave eased out a tremulous breath of satisfaction. “It is not our job to ask why, son, but to ask how we can bring God the glory through this situation.”
Reece’s face scrunched up in such pain, Marie’s heart twinged. “I know, Pop. I’m trying. I really am. I’m also still praying.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of the man you’ve become.” The older man’s hand trembled as he patted Reece’s.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Dave nodded. “Now go on and have a good time with your two girls.”
Reece cast her a quick look that contained so much promise it nearly took her breath away, then turned back to his father. “I plan to do that.”
Guilt niggled at Marie as she trailed Reece and Alyssa up the path to the cabins. He already had a great deal of pain in his life, and she’d caused him more. It would have been a lot easier for him if she had stood her ground in the first place and not gone out with him to begin with. She’d better keep that in mind for the future. Because judging by the passion in his eyes when he’d leveled her with that look back there, he didn’t plan to back off from what he’d said he was going to do the night before. Not even a little bit.
She was a touch nervous over what he might say once they were alone in the small space of the bathroom, with Alyssa engrossed at the kitchen table with a box of markers and a pad of drawing paper Reece had apparently bought for her, but Reece didn’t say anything, only handed her a brush and set to work with the roller while she did the trim.
The soft blue she’d chosen for the colors of this cabin brought to mind the ocean on a bright sunny day. She envisioned the seashells she’d planned for a border, and a picture of a sailboat framed in white. A few white candles and white-and-navy accents would put some nice finishing touches on the place.
She set her brush on the lip of her can and reached to move the ladder a little further down the wall.
“Here, let me.”
Reece reached around her with both arms, lifted the ladder, and shuffled them several steps in the right direction, then set it back on the floor.
Marie tried to ignore the ripple and play of muscles in his forearms, but it wasn’t much use. For the heartbeat of one moment, she stood still between the arms he kept on the ladder; then she felt the warmth of his breath on her neck and heard him whisper her name.
She ducked under his arm and retrieved her can. “Thanks.” She whisked past him and scooted up the ladder.
She heard a breath leave his lungs in a rush. “Well, I can see that some time and distance from last night haven’t changed your mind. But I’m telling you, my mind hasn’t been changed either. And until you can honestly tell me you don’t care for me, I plan to make as big a fool of myself over
you as I possibly can, Marie Sinclair, so you just be expecting that.”
With that he clomped from the room.
Marie plunked her can down on the ladder and closed her eyes, feeling the tremor rushing through her. The man was determined to be a detriment to himself. But surely if she just held her ground, he would eventually get the message.
They painted without incident right up to the six o’clock hour and got one coat of paint on each of the three bathrooms. Reece had held his distance for the rest of the evening, but walked toward her wiping his hands on a rag as she gathered Alyssa and hurried her into her coat.
“Same time tomorrow?”
Marie shook her head. “Tuesdays I have a longer day at work because we offer some evening classes. And Wednesdays I take Alyssa to Daisies at church, and I go to Bible study. So tomorrow I won’t be able to pick her up till eight, and Wednesday I’ll want to swing by to pick her up at four, and we’ll just head home to grab some dinner before church. Taysia gave me Thursday, Friday, and Saturday off, though. So I’ll be able to work with you all day those days.” She bit her lip, suddenly unsure. Was he expecting more from her? “I hope that will be okay with you?”
He nodded. “Sounds fine.” He clasped his hands behind his back and studied her. “So tomorrow you have a twelve-hour day?”
She nodded and her eyes widened. “Which means you do too. I’m so sorry. I should have thought to ask you if that was going to be too much. If—”
“Marie.” He cut her off. “It’s fine. I was only thinking of you. That’s a long time to be on your feet.”
“Oh.” She laid a hand on Alyssa’s head. “I’ll be fine, but Alyssa generally goes down about seven thirty.”
He nodded. “Alright. We’ll keep that in mind.” He reached out and ruffled Alyssa’s hair. “See you tomorrow, Superwoman. And guess what? You even get to pick out a movie to watch tomorrow afternoon.”
Alyssa smiled and without hesitation shouted, “Frozen!”
Caught in the Current (Pacific Shores Book 2) Page 13
